TOPS El Chete Voted Best New Outdoor Fixed Blade 2017

We are pleased to announce that the TOPS El Chete is the KnifeNews Dealers’ Choice for Best New Outdoor Fixed Blade 2017. Votes cast by dealers indicated that other great new blades in this category included the Buck 101 Hunter, ESEE CL1, and Fox Knives TUR.

When it comes to outdoor knives, choppers are in a class of their own. They emphasize power and size to deal with outdoor cutting chores other knives can’t cope with. And there’s no 2017 chopper bigger or badder than El Chete. With a foot-long blade made of quarter-inch-thick 1095 steel, it channels a primal urge for destruction. TOPS maintained that stock thickness right up until the cutting bevel, resulting in a robust and stable edge that bites into fibrous material like wood and brush. “It’s one of those knives that just came together perfectly,” says TOPS’ Craig Powell.

According to Powell, TOPS president Leo Espinoza thought long and hard about El Chete and the company spent a lot of time testing, refining, and perfecting the design. “Leo had the design in his head well before he drew it out on paper,” Powell adds.

Beyond setting a new standard for heavy duty chopping, the El Chete marks a number of firsts for TOPS. “It’s the first knife we have released with sandwiched Micarta scales and also the first with our Acid Rain finish,” says Powell. “It’s also the largest knife we offer in a Kydex sheath, and the sheath design has been very well-received.” El Chete became a perfect platform for TOPS to flex its machining and manufacturing muscle. “Basically, this knife just had everything going for it from the moment we starting making it,” Powell explains. “Plus, you gotta love the name.”

Visit KnifeNews.com tomorrow to find out the winner of the KnifeNews Dealers’ Choice Award for Best New Multitool 2017 (See the nominees below).

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